Territory



(No Model.) I

C. 0. VINYRD.

NUT LOOK.

No. 404,326. l Patented May Z8, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEE-ICE.A

CHARLES O. VINYARD, OF NAVAJ O SPRINGS, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

N UT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,326, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed January 10, 1889. Serial No. 296,006. (No model.)

To (2l/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. VINYARD, of Navajo Springs, in the county of Apache and Territory of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut- Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in nut-locks.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved nut-lock exceedingly cheap, simple, durable, and effective in construction, and easily operated by any person, and of such construction that the parts will be prevented from rattling and be held tightly together, and where used upon the nuts of a railroadrail joint the bolts will be held tightly and the parts so braced that the ends of the rails will be prevented from bending or giving. These objects are accomplished by and my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a railroad-rail joint, illustrating the lock in practical use. Fin'. 2 is a cross-section of the rail and locking-plate, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the locking-nut and its tongue detached.

In the drawings, the reference-letter a indicates a railroad-rail. b indicates the anglebars, and c indicates the usual series of bolts clamping vthe same together, and provided with the nuts d, located upon the saine side of the rail. The nuts are held firmly in position against rotation or loosening by means of the locking-plate e, provided with transverse apertures e", each snugly receiving a nut, d, to prevent the same from turning and the bolts and nuts from rattling therein. This locking-plate when used upon a railfjoint is of a size to lit upon the outer vertical side of the angle-bar between the tread of the rail and the lower flange of the angle-bar and of a length to receive all the nuts, and the plate is preferably of a greater thickness than the nuts, so that when in position the outer face of the -nuts will lie beneath the outer face of the plate, with one or more of the bolts proj ecting outwardly beyond the same. This plate is iirmly and tightly clamped in position by one or more locking-nuts, f, provided with a radially-extending spring tongue or 'finger, (,'of a sufficient length to extend from the nut and engage the next adjoining bolt.

In assembling the parts the lockingplate is first placed in position, receiving the nuts and bolts in its apertures e. A locking-nut is then placed upon the outer end of one of the bolts and screwed tightly down upon the ou-ter face of the locking-plate, thereby rigidly clamping the locking-plate in position. As the locking-nut is turned its spring-tongue is bent outwardly to pass the ends of the adjoining bolts and the tread and lower iiange of the rail to allow the free rotation of the nut, and when the nut has been screwed tightly home its tongue is sprung beneath on or upon one of the adjoining bolts, as clearly shown in Fig. l, thereby preventing the backward or loosening rotation of the locking-nut.

This lock, composed of the locking-nut and its tongue, is preferably formed integral of spring-steel, and the tongue is of a sufficient thickness to hold the lock, and yet easily bend outward to allow the rotation of the nut.

This lock can be used wherever several bolts are adjacent, and, further, where the device is used upon a railway-joint, it firmly clamps the parts together and rigidly holds the bolts in position, and thereby prevents rattling and the ends of the rails from bending.

It is evident that by reason of the lockingplate being thicker than the nuts it can be rigidly clamped in position, while otherwise it could not.

Vhat I claim isl. A nut-lock for a series of adjacent bolts, consisting of a plate or bar provided with a series of apertures to receive the nuts of said bolts'and prevent the same from turning, the outer faces of the nuts lying beneath the outer face of said bar, a locking-nut upon an end of one of said bolts, screwed tightly upon the IOO outer face of the bar, and a thin elongated spring-arm formed integral With said nut and extending radially from the same and adapted to engage the projecting end of an adjacent bolt, and thereby prevent the looking bar and nut from turning, said arm being sprung outwardly Wh en the locking-nut is being rotated, substantially as described.

2. Alocking-nutprovided with an elongated thin spring-arm extending radially from the inner edge of the nut, said nut and arm being formed integral of spring-steel and the arm being adapted to be bent outwardly when the nut is being rotated, and when released to spring to its normal position and engage an adjacent bolt to hold the nut against loosening, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES O. VINYARD.

WVitnesses:

0. E. DUFFY,

C. M. WERLE. 

